Swedish heavy tanks in world of tanks. Tanks of Sweden World Of Tanks
Swedish tanks and tank destroyers - that's what appeared in. What has changed in the game with the advent of these machines?
As soon as the update came out, there were a lot of people wanting to download the next “top”. Anyone who went into battle in a Tier 1 Swedish tank saw another 29 others who wanted to play in similar vehicles. And those willing to fill the entire composition of the battle participants decreased with each level, but there were a lot of them. Starting from level 5, not so many Swedish tanks appeared in random battles, but this does not quench interest in them.
Review of the Swedish tank line
The Kranvagn branch does not shine with interesting cars until level 6. But at the seventh level, the medium tank Leo (some players “christened” it as a “ninja turtle”) is of some interest, since it has the ability to choose the game either from one-time damage or from damage per minute. Next are the heavy tanks, which are intended to provide alternatives to the drum-based French heavy tanks. However, Emil I cannot yet be called an alternative to the AMX 50 100, because four shells in the drum are not six. Since there are regular tournaments at 8 levels, and armor doesn’t really matter there (since everyone plays at tournaments), players more often choose a Frenchman than a Swede, because the former is able to remove any opponent of his level from one reel. At the ninth level there is a heavy tank that can be an alternative to the AMX 50 120 - Emil II. And in this regard, the latter becomes less interesting, because a heavy tank must have good armor, which French heavy tanks cannot boast of.And with the advent of Kranvagn AMX 50B, the level of interest becomes slightly higher than the level of the Chinese WZ-113. Despite the fact that the Frenchman, although he received some advantages over the heavy tank from Sweden (for example, the speed of reloading the drum or mobility), interest in the AMX 50B is rapidly declining. Because there is growing interest in another vehicle that has received more armor with HD conversion - this is the T57 Heavy. And here the Frenchman is no longer competitive with either the Kranvagn or the T57 Heavy. However, the “crane” branch itself is not particularly interesting, since there are more interesting branches of heavy tanks. For example, branch IS-7, IS-4, E100. Even the branch on FV 215b seems more interesting than on Kranvagn. And this is only a comparison with the branches of heavy tanks, not to mention a comparison with the branches for other classes of equipment.
The Strv 103B branch does not have any notable vehicles at levels 6 and 7, but at level 4 another alternative to the Hetzer tank destroyer appeared - the Sav m/43, which can also destroy its classmates with one shot. And the lkv 103, located at the fifth level, is quite an alternative to its “classmate” - the S35 CA, since both vehicles have very high one-time damage.
Tank destroyer of the latest levels
Separately, it is necessary to say about tank destroyers of levels 8, 9 and 10. These vehicles are notable for the fact that they have a hydraulic suspension, which allows the vehicles to move in siege mode. In it, these tank destroyers can move, while keeping the stereo tube and camouflage net turned on, and the gun is able to move in the horizontal direction (in normal mode, there are no horizontal aiming angles on the UDES 03, Strv 103-0 and Strv 103B). However, in general, the degree of interest in the Swedish tank destroyer branch can be compared with the degree of interest in the T110E3 branch, which, however, is more competitive compared to the “top” from Sweden.Bottom line: download the branch?
In general, the Swedish branches can be described as “not for everyone,” because drum heavy tanks are very specific, which not everyone can play, and tank destroyers are not lagging behind in this regard, since the game there is based on damage per minute.However, the developers, realizing that interest in the Swedes is only temporary, are fueling it by first distributing personal discounts on tank destroyers, which could be won by decorating a Christmas tree. But in order to increase interest in heavy tanks, the developers began to give out equipment and consumables for playing Swedish tanks and tank destroyers.
Hello everyone and welcome to the site! Well, friends, it’s happened, the long-awaited update 0.9.17 World of Tanks has been released, in which every tanker will have a new nation and two branches of upgrading Swedish equipment.
Of course, many people are wondering what is best to upgrade first, which tanks to focus on, what awaits you at level ten and what is the best thing to strive for? Of course, the player’s personal preferences play a major role here, but we will still try to help you set priorities and try to answer these questions.
The path to the top heavyweights
All the new equipment is unique in its own way, everyone can find tanks here to their liking, but the development branch that leads to the Kranvagn heavy tank desired by many is most suitable for those who love variety.
The fact is that this part of the Swedish research tree is combined, it begins with light tanks, which smoothly transition to medium ones, and the incredible heavy equipment can rightly be considered the apogee of the greatness of Scandinavian thought.
The beginning of the journey
To be honest, there is not much to say about the beginning of the branch; from the first level to the third, tanks are completed very quickly, due to the fact that you need to earn little experience on them. In addition, all light tanks are Swedish and have rather mediocre performance characteristics.
These vehicles are lightly armored, which is quite typical for this class of equipment, but they also do not have good mobility, so they can even be completed using free experience. But if you want to try each tank and do it right, the names are clickable and lead to the corresponding guides.
Medium tanks 4-5
But from the fourth level, the tanks of Sweden in update 0.9.17 World of Tanks begin to transform, here the first representative of medium tanks awaits you. Lago, which is exactly the name of the first ST on your way, has rather mediocre general performance characteristics, but it has variable weapons and one of the guns really transforms the car. On this Scandinavian you will first feel the power of Swedish guns, in this case achieved through good penetration and high rate of fire. If you want to know more about this device, read.
The fifth level deserves even more attention; it is also reached quite quickly and here the Strv m/42 WoT medium tank awaits you. This device is really starting to acquire the unique features typical of Swedish STs. In particular, you will be pleased with the excellent vertical aiming angles and decent dynamics of the car.
In addition, the weapons of Strv m/42 World of Tanks 0.9.17 are also noticeably transformed, the top gun has good one-time damage, penetration and DPM, the game is filled with new colors. However, you still need to try to realize the potential of the car, and to make it easier for you, check out.
Medium tanks 6-7
The previous two machines were really interesting, they prepared the player for the upcoming increase in the level of technology and the complexity of battles, however, they can also be completed quickly, using free experience or simply having a premium account.
But for anyone who loves the style of playing on medium tanks, I highly recommend trying the Strv 74 tank of Sweden. Stay at the sixth level, because here you will find a real Spartan, not very fast and dynamic, but possessing a magnificent, accurate, rapid-fire weapon with amazing vertical aiming angles. The combination of these characteristics will give you a lot of pleasure from playing this tank, and will help you quickly understand the mechanics of the gameplay.
However, you should beware of the vehicle’s weaknesses, because the medium tank Strv 74 WoT 0.9.17 has a high silhouette and is not able to collide with the enemy head-on, due to its mediocre armor.
Regarding the seventh level, the car is controversial, but there is definitely no other one like it among my classmates and you also need to try this gameplay.
First of all, the Swedish Leo tank, unlike its predecessors, has good mobility indicators, which well compensate for its lack of armor.
However, something else is interesting - in the case of Leo World of Tanks 0.9.17 you will find two weapons to choose from, very different from each other, aimed at different styles of combat of players. Some people will like to play as an alpha strike, others prefer the rate of fire, accuracy and damage per minute.
Obviously, at the seventh level, most tankers will have to fight quite a few battles, and in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this vehicle and quickly adapt to its features, we advise you to read from our portal.
On the threshold of greatness
From the eighth level in the combined development branch of Swedish technology, the most interesting things begin, each subsequent heavy tank becomes better and better, everyone who decided to pump up the heavy tanks of this nation should play on each of them.
Of course, one cannot help but notice a certain similarity between Swedish heavy tanks and French ones, but in reality these vehicles are completely different.
Let's start with the eighth level - Emil I World of Tanks stands out for its powerful frontal armor, an excellent cannon with a loading drum for 4 shells and excellent air-propellant weapons, as well as good mobility.
Among the minuses, we can note the high silhouette of the tank, its mediocre protection from the sides and, most importantly, the same drum. The fact is that Emil 1 WoT 0.9.17 has 4 shells, a significant alpha strike, good penetration, but there is a significant drawback - it takes us a lot of time to completely reload the drum. But despite this, the level eight heavy is very strong, it prepares you for the transition to the next tank, and to unlock its potential, it is better to pay attention to.
Emil II
In the next representative of heavy tanks, Swedish minds embodied all the strengths of the first Emil, but managed to emphasize them and make them even more significant. The armor of the Emil II World of Tanks becomes even more serious, partly due to the increased thickness of the armor plates, partly due to the more successful design of the vehicle.
Of course, the changes also affected weapons, and not all of them will be to your liking. Yes, one-time damage has increased, but with the same number of shells in the drum, its implementation has become more complicated, due to the increased CD between shots. In addition, for Emil II, the implementation of each cartridge plays a special role, because the entire drum is reloaded for 40 seconds, which is a very long time.
To get to know the vehicle in even more detail, to see a detailed analysis of the tank’s performance characteristics, its vehicle model, and weapons, we again advise you to read, at the ninth level this is especially important.
Kranvagn
The previous heavy tanks are really very good, compared to their classmates they look very advantageous, but the apogee of greatness and power, of course, was the top heavy tank of Sweden, the Kranvagn. It is because of him that it is worth going all the way, from the first level to the last, so what is he?
Kranvagn World of Tanks 0.9.17 is an explosive mixture of very strong frontal armor, decent mobility, a powerful drum gun with excellent vertical aiming angles. In other words, this device has absorbed all the qualities that are so valued in our favorite game.
Of course, this monster of the world of tanks also has its own weaknesses and it’s better for you to know them before entering the battle, so for you.
The path to top tank destroyers
The path to learning self-propelled anti-tank guns is literally created for those players who crave unique gameplay and total dominance, because at the top of this branch of tank destroyers you will find a truly innovative concept of playing in World of Tanks.
It is also worth saying that if the beginning of the combined development branch looks quite mediocre, the first three levels, and by and large the fourth, do not stand out much from the total mass of other vehicles of other nations, but in pumping up tank destroyers everything is somewhat different.
The beginning of the journey
PT-SAU 6-7
At the sixth level there is a pot-bellied, cardboard and quite noticeable tank destroyer Ikv 60 Alt II in terms of camouflage coefficient. To be honest, it’s difficult to call this car truly strong, but it is far from weak, because it has a decent number of advantages. It’s a sort of mediocre option that many will play through and forget, but it’s worth exploring for more comfortable battles.
But the next device is much more interesting, the Ikv 90 B will pleasantly surprise its owner with very good mobility and excellent camouflage, which it received thanks to its squat silhouette and compact size. In general, the PT-shka is also very ordinary, but comfortable, it’s pleasant to play on it and there’s no need to read it.
A little more in the ladies
What can I say, the branch of upgrading Swedish tank destroyers is very, very interesting in some places, sometimes quite ordinary vehicles will be waiting for you, in all understandings the words are ordinary, but this path is worth the effort, because it can be compared to climbing Olympus, where at the end of the road you countless gifts will await you.
Of course, now we’ll talk about what every World of Tanks player should try, be it a beginner or an experienced tanker.
UDES 03
So, the first of the most unusual, unique and interesting vehicles in our favorite game, the owner of a revolutionary concept of gameplay in World of Tanks, the first Swedish tank destroyer in the development tree, with completely new mechanics.
Of course, UDES 03 WoT 0.9.17 has a hydropneumatic suspension and is capable of transforming into two separate combat modes, but in this machine the innovations are only partially implemented, it is designed to prepare you for the greatness to come, and in order to get acquainted with it and what awaits you, be sure to read .
Strv 103-0
A full-fledged representative of the newest mechanics that came to World of Tanks in update 0.9.17. In the ninth level tank destroyer Strv 103-0, the mechanics of hydropneumatic suspension are fully implemented; this vehicle can not only use its excellent stealth, but in skillful hands it is also capable of ricocheting more than a dozen projectiles.
Strv 103B
If a tank destroyer of the ninth level is capable of instilling fear and awe in the enemy, then what can be said about the top representative of the branch? Probably, today, this car is one of the most desirable and for good reason.
You already know everything about changing combat modes (siege and marching), you are familiar with the air-hydraulic suspension, and of course, the Strv 103B 0.9.17 has all this. Add to the unique mechanics incredible camouflage, the ability to literally blend into the terrain, the most accurate weapon in the game, which also has excellent penetration and damage per minute parameters, additional protection with various anti-cumulative shields and still these are not all the strengths of this device.
It’s worth going through all the Swedish tank destroyers in order to take the helm of this masterpiece of Scandinavian thought, and in order to outperform your opponents in battle, we present you with a detailed analysis of the tank’s performance characteristics and combat tactics on it.
Bottom line
To summarize, I would like to say that the long-awaited update 0.9.17 really brought a lot of new things to World of Tanks. Regarding the Swedish nation, both branches in the development tree deserve your attention; at the end of each path, truly strong cars await you; you will have to set recognized tops and priorities yourself. One has only to add that if you want something truly new, something you haven’t tried before, your path lies to the top tank destroyers of Sweden, and for those who like variety, ending with real power, heavy weights are more suitable, but all this is very superficial.
Stridsvagn m/42 (strv m/42)
The main tank of the Swedish army during the Second World War and the Korean War
So, the Swedish branch is ready. Instead of the chatter of Russian-speaking gamblers, I will post a video in English, which raised certain questions for Belarusian developers, whom I do not really like for their passion for hypothetical projects. Still, I don’t understand why a game that claims to be somewhat historic needs tanks that not only never existed, but there weren’t even any projects for them. In the end, real tanks (even if built only in one copy or even in a mock-up) are one thing, but “ The boys and I were sitting, drinking beer and thinking, how cool it would be to put a 170 mm anti-aircraft gun on the Pz.II, and then Hans ruined everything for us, saying that such an anti-aircraft gun was not even in the project, and if it had been, it would have been stupidly crushed I wish I had such a tank after the first shot. “You’re lying, you despicable Lusatian,” our faithful Richard cried at that moment, “you don’t believe in the genius of our Fuhrer and his faithful devotees from the country of potato lovers"". I recently sold a level 10 English TT. Because it's nonsense! For those who don’t know, this “tank” was completely invented by Wargaming.
As for the current Swedish branch, I, in principle, agree with the first six levels of the LT-ST branch, but fundamentally disagree with premium VI, designated strv m/52, since this tank was not even in the projects. In this text, I want to briefly talk about the tanks included in this branch and explain the impossibility of the existence of this premium tank as such.
strv fm/21 on its first maneuvers
The first level was given to strv fm/21 and absolutely deservedly so. This was actually the first Swedish tank. Its history is well known. The Germans created this device (LK II) shortly before the end of the First World War and, according to the Treaty of Versailles, they were supposed to destroy all such equipment, but instead they sold 10 vehicle sets to Sweden under the guise of spare parts for tractors, where the Landsverk company was created to assemble them. Interestingly, funding for their purchase (18,000 crowns apiece) was knocked out of parliament with the motivation “to protect the royal family from a possible revolution.” They were assembled in 1920-21, and in 1923 five tanks took part in maneuvers in the south of Sweden, in Skåne, where they created a real sensation - the presence of tanks in the Swedish army in 1920-22 was a military secret. In 1927, work began on arming tanks with cannons instead of machine guns; the modification was named strv fm/29. These tanks served in the Swedish army until 1937.
In subsequent years, several interesting tank projects were created in Sweden, in some cases it even reached prototypes (L-5. L-10 and so on). The first Swedish-built serial tank was the strv m/37 wedge, developed at the Czechoslovak company CKD Praga, under the leadership of the Russian designer Alexei Surin, who had been working in Czechoslovakia since 1923. The tank, weighing 4.5 tons, was armed with 2 8mm machine guns, had 6-15 mm armor and was driven by an 85 hp engine. 48 tankettes were delivered directly from Czechoslovakia, and 16 were assembled at the Landsverk plant. The tanks entered service with the Swedish army in the spring of 1939.
At the second level they have strv m/38. And here I agree with them.
Strv m/39 during Swedish army exercises
Let me explain what we are talking about. In 1934, the Landsverk company developed the extremely successful L-60 light tank. It was formally adopted by the Swedish army, but only 5 were produced, four of which were exported. Hungary acquired one tank and a license for the L-60 and, based on it, an enterprise of the Manfred Weiss company, the largest machine-buildingenterprises of the country, developed the 38m Toldi I tank and the Nimrod tank destroyer. In Sweden, the original L-60 was only put into service, but in 1939 the production of light tanks based on it began - strv m/38, strv m/39 and strv m/40. In total, until 1944, the Swedish army received 216 such tanks (according to other sources - 220). The Strv m/38 was a fairly compact tank, weighing only 8.5 tons, with armor of about 15-10 mm and armament consisting of a 37 mm cannon and a pair of 8 mm machine guns in the frontal armor. The 142-horsepower carburetor engine allowed the tank to move on the highway at a maximum speed of 48 km/h. 16 of these tanks were produced. The Strv m/39's machine guns were moved to the turret. 20 of them were produced. The most popular modification, strv m/40L, had an automatic transmission (100 units), tanks of this series entered service with the troops in 1942, and in 1944 the Swedish army received 80 (or 84) tanks of the latest modification - strv m/40K, which received 50 mm frontal armor. Tanks of this brand served in the Swedish army until the end of the 50s, they were used to produce self-propelled guns and self-propelled guns, a number of strv m/40K were sold to the Dominican Republic, where three of them took part in the only tank battle in history on the American continent, driving towards the American " Patton" during the 1960 intervention. The Americans, of course, quickly disabled them, but then they repaired the remaining devices and they protected the peaceful sleep of the Dominicansfrom the threat of invasion by hordes of Haitian zombies and Tonton Macoutes until 2003.
Strv m/39
By the middle of the war, it became clear that the combat capabilities of these tanks were extremely limited even in battle with modern Soviet or German ones (in 1943 there was a direct threat of invasion by German troops, which forced the Hansen government to announce partial mobilization. When the number of the Swedish army increased by 300 in three days thousand people, the Germans changed their minds about invading, while the “aggressive” encroachments of the USSR were limited to the bombing of the airfield in Solna, a suburb of Stockholm, but that’s a completely different story) with tanks, but by this time they were no longer the most popular Swedish tanks.
In the Swedish branch proposed by Wargaming, strv m/38 became LT II level, and strv m/40K LT III. So far I almost agree with this. Although there are also questions about which are mentioned above.
Even when the Landsverk L-60 was being developed, in 1936, Hungary asked the company to design a heavier tank weighing 15-16 tons, with more powerful weapons and thicker armor. Two years later, a prototype was built, called Landsverk m/38 Lago (all other prototypes, and there were six of them in total, also received their own name Lago with the prototype number indicated). The tank had a mass of 15 tons, was armed with a 47 mm Bofors cannon, and was driven by a pair of 142 strong engines, like those installed on the strv m/28-40. In terms of performance characteristics, therefore, this tank was an analogue of the German Pz.III, the French Somua S.35 and the experienced Czech CKD T22. Well, and perhaps the Soviet T-46, which never went into large production.
Landsverk Lago I
The Hungarian customers, who were shown the tank, were delighted, but..... the Swedish authorities, after the occupation of part of Czechoslovakia by Germany and Hungary, imposed an embargo on the export of military technology and the prototype remained in Sweden. For the next 2-3 years, the Lago prototype was not in demand, the Hungarians also did not take advantage of the developments, and the Turan medium tank created by Manfred Weiss in 1939 was a scaling of the L-60, rather archaic and completely uncompetitive in relation to tanks of the same age.
If you believe the above video, Lago will become a level IV CT, which is also logical and does not raise the slightest questions. The development of at least the main battery gun is immediately visible - first 47 mm, then 57 mm. What else needs to be changed is not entirely clear.
On June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. The Swedes, who always breathed unevenly about everything that was happening in Russia, received information about the new Soviet tanks almost instantly, and already in June a commission was created in the Ministry of Defense, the agenda of which was to solve the problem of equipping Sweden with modern competitive tanks. The members of the commission made a fair conclusion that the strv m/37 wedges and light tanks strv m/38 (strv m/41, as well as the improved strv m/39-40, which were in service with the mechanized units of the Swedish army, began to enter service only in 1942) numbering approximately 80 in the event of a foreign invasion, they will not constitute the slightest obstacle to the aggressor (by the aggressor everyone understood the Germans, with whom Sweden seemed to be friends) and the country needs more powerful tanks.
Delegations were sent to Germany and Bohemia, but there they explained to the Swedes that “this is real. Guys, it’s not up to you. We are at war.” Then the warriors turned to Landsverk, where they were dumbfounded by the message that they had a promising tank already ready, but it would be better to remake it, improving the armor and replacing the long-barreled 57 mm gun with a much shorter (only 28 calibers) 75 mm, the shells of which had much better high-explosive effect; in addition, the shorter gun noticeably reduced the overall dimensions of the tank.
In November 1941, the first contract was signed for a batch of 100 new tanks, named strv m/42.
To understand what it was like, it is worth comparing the strv m/42 with the T-34 of the 1939-40 models.
The length of the Swede was 6.22 m (T-34 - 5.92 m.)
Width - 2.34 m (3 m). The width was limited by the parameters of the railway platforms used by SJ. This became a serious problem, as it led to a decrease in the maneuverability of the tank.
Height - 2.59 m (2.41 m)
Weight - 22.5 t (25 t.)
Reservations:
Front/side/stern of the hull - 55/30/20 mm (45/45/40 mm)
Front/side/rear of the turret - 55/30/20 mm (45/45/45 mm)
Gun mantlet - 80 mm (40 mm)
Weapons:
Gun - 75 mm / 28 cal. (76 mm / 30.5 cal)
Machine guns - 4 x 8 mm (2 x 7.62 mm)
Propulsion system:
In 1942-48, four modifications of the strv m/42 were produced, differing in the type of transmission (electric, mechanical, hydraulic) and the type of engine (either a Scania-Vabis 603 twin, 160 hp or one Volvo A8B - 380 hp. ). The T-34 of the first releases, as is known, was equipped with a V-2 engine with a power of 500 hp.
Maximum highway speed:
42-45 km/h (52 km/h), but where then, in Sweden or in the USSR, can we take so many highways.
Thus, strv m/42, as a level V ST, is the only logical solution. And with the sixth level, to which the developers put strv 74, everything is also logical. But the very history of the appearance of this tank requires some explanation.
In 1948, production of the strv m/42 was discontinued with the release of the 282nd tank of the Strv m/42 TV modification. By that time, the Swedish army had about 800 tanks in service, quite a lot, but the military understood that in a modern war this rather impressive fleet was uncompetitive.
Strv m/42 with an experimental turret and a 75mm/37 cal gun.
Several ways to solve the problem were considered.
Firstly, in 1944-47 Landsverk carried out promising developments of a medium 25-30-ton tank and a tank destroyer with a 105mm gun based on it, known under the general name Leo. However, in 1947 the army ordered all development to be stopped, since the proposed performance characteristics no longer satisfied it. The development of these devices has not even reached the mock-up stage. Looking ahead, I’ll say that the guys from Wargaming placed Leo at level 7.
Secondly, in 1947-48, the option of purchasing American M4 Sherman tanks was considered. The United States planed almost 55,000 of them during the war and, after the end of hostilities, offered them to almost anyone at prices not much different from the price of scrap metal. But after analyzing the performance characteristics of the Shermans, the Swedes came to the conclusion that this tank is no better than the strv m/42 (well, if you don’t take into account the M4A3E8).
Thirdly, the option of installing a new turret with a more powerful 75 mm gun with a barrel length of 37 cal. on the strv m/42 was considered. The idea of a new turret was implemented later, at a different quality level.
Fourth and fifth - the purchase of imported tanks. First, in 1950, Sweden approached Great Britain with a request for the possibility of acquiring a Centurion Mark III tank with an 83 mm gun. The British did not refuse, but reported that due to the fact that they themselves were undergoing a massive rearmament of tank units, deliveries could begin only in 1958. The Swedes, of course, were not happy with this option. Therefore, at the beginning of 1952, in deep secrecy, a deal was made to purchase the light French tank AMX 13 (this tank had just entered service with the French army and the post-war French tank industry desperately needed foreign contracts), testing of which continued for two years. The Swedish military was delighted with the new product. The small tank carried weapons similar to those carried by the best medium tanks of the time, carried significantly better armor than similar weights, was very mobile and had a range of 400 km - about 2 times more than any other tank, then in service around the world.
Strv 81
Aka Centuriom Mk 3. A total of 350 “centurions” were delivered from Great Britain to Sweden in 1953-60, the last of which were withdrawn from service in the early 2000s. Also, for use as moving targets in the mid-1990s, 16 decommissioned Centurion Mk 7 tanks were purchased in Switzerland
Everything was heading towards signing a contract for the supply of 300-400 tanks, but then the British suddenly woke up and in December 1952 offered the Swedes to purchase Centurions from them (perhaps this was due to the fact that England did not intend to fight with anyone in the coming years - the war in Korea was over and there was no need to rush into massive deliveries of these tanks to the troops). At this time, another introduction arose - protection from the damaging effects of a nuclear explosion. The results of testing French and British tanks showed that the AMX-13 cannot operate in a nuclear war, while the Centurion can withstand a shock wave and its armor protects the crew well from radiation. But then a financial problem arose. With funds allocated by the Swedish government, the army could only afford 80 “centurions” (the contract was signed on December 31, 1952, and the first tanks were received on May 2, 1953). But this was too little, so other options for solving the problem began to be considered. One of them was the installation of a turret from the AMX 13 on the strv m/42. However, this option was rejected from the very beginning for the most banal reason - the linear diameter of the "French" turret was significantly larger than that of the strv m/42, which itself was a narrow tank. Accordingly, no mock-ups or prototypes were made - the Swedish engineers were already clear about the impossibility of this solution.
AMX 13 testing in Sweden
At this time, the star of the Swedish tank engineer Sven Berge (1919-2004) was rising, who, since 1951, had been developing a promising medium tank under the code name EMIL, but in the end of 1953, the direct question of the military “How long will it take to create a new tank?” Breguet answered honestly that at least 7 years. He was a little mistaken, but for the better: in 1959, these developments would result in the project of the most unusual post-war tank, next to which even the Armata looks archaic. I am of course referring to the famous "Swedish tank" - str 103. Therefore, Berge proposed to develop a new turret for the strv m/42 based on the experience gained during testing of the Centurion. It turned out that the total modernization of the strv m/42 would cost three times less than the purchase of an AMX 13, despite the fact that the combat qualities of the “new product” would not be inferior to the “French”.
Str 74 on the march.
The apparent absurdity of the proportions is not in fact evidence of distortion of the proportions of the image - strv m/42 and Str 74, as mentioned above, were very narrow. "Centurions" were a meter wider.
Str 74 is truly a beautiful device.
So it was created in 1955, and in 1957 Str 74 went into service with the troops. In addition to the tower, radio equipment, transmissions, and optics were modernized. The tank received a new 75 mm gun with a length of 56.5 cal. - twice as long as it was on strv m/42. This weapon made it possible to hit enemy tanks at a direct fire distance of up to 1000 meters. A total of 225 tanks were converted and served in the Swedish army until 1984. The old towers were installed on the coast of Sweden, and after 1984 new towers joined them.
Thus, the strv m/42-52, INVENTED by the “developers” from Wargaming, never existed even in projects. Those who are developing the tanks themselves wanted to cheat specifically, which is what they did AGAIN.
In fact, if they wanted to kill the Prem, they would have to use another tank, produced in Sweden in the 1940s, which has not yet been mentioned above.
strv m/41 first series
We are talking about Strv m/41. In 1939, Sweden ordered 200 of the latest CKD LT vz.38 light tanks from Czechoslovakia. However, the Germans who occupied the Czech Republic did not allow the order to be completed - they themselves needed these tanks for the outbreak of war, but the Swedes, after long negotiations (even the king took part in them), persuaded the Germans to allow them to buy a license, with which the chief designer of CKD Alexey Surin was sincerely happy ( he had been collaborating with the Swedes for a long time. The first Swedish serial tank strv m/37 was designed by a Russian engineer). However, the Germans prevented the transfer of a complete set of documentation (there were interesting technological know-how), then Surin sent a courier to Sweden with a part of the documentation classified by the Germans under the guise of a tourist.
Ice
Production of the strv m/41 was carried out at the Svania-Vabis factories, from where the Swedish army received the first strv m/41 at the end of 1942. These tanks had the same weapons as the m/38-40, but were larger (weight reached 11 tons) and slightly better armored - 25 mm front hull and turret, 15 mm sides and rear. Despite the fact that the engine was the same as that of the strv m/38-40, and the suspension was more archaic, the speed on the highway was still the same 48 km/h. In October 1943, deliveries of the strv m/41 of the second series began. The tank was slightly lengthened (literally by 6.5 cm), its gas tank capacity increased, but the main differences were the 50mm thick frontal armor and a more powerful Scania-Vabis 603 engine (160 hp). A total of 220 such tanks were delivered to the Swedish mechanized units, all of them served safely until 1962, when they were rebuilt into Pbv 301 armored personnel carriers, which served for another 8 years. But that's a completely different story. It should also be noted that on the basis of the strv m/41, Scania developed the Sav m/43 assault self-propelled gun, armed with a 105 mm howitzer. A total of 36 self-propelled guns were built, despite numerous problems, which were more than kindly received by the troops. But about them in a separate post.
Why does strv m/41 qualify for Tier III premium? Because with exactly the same performance characteristics as the strv m/40K, by definition it will have slightly higher HP and because it will be quite difficult to put it directly into the branch of Swedish tanks.
Strv 103
My photo
As for levels 7-10, here I get the feeling that the Wargaming developers simply went into the astral plane, putting the Strv 103 in the tank destroyer branch and placing completely hypothetical tanks on 4 steps, only some of which reached the mock-up stage. The point is that the “secret” history of the Swedish post-war tank industry is very interesting, but in reality only the “Swedish tank” Strv 103 and the licensed German “Leopard II” were brought to mass production. Everything else is self-propelled guns, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. However, there were many projects, it’s true. In my mind, the Centurion (or something from the developments of the 1950s - for example, Lancer) should have been placed on the 7th level, this too on the 8th, the Strv 103 on the 9th, and the promising Swedish tank developed in the 70s on the 10th and known as Strv 2000
This is one of the images of this device, there were others, completely different.
Instead, the developers stuffed tanks into levels 7-10, which at best reached the prototyping level, completely forgot about the Centurion, and dragged the Strv 103 into the self-propelled guns branch. But we'll figure this out later.
Summary - if I start downloading the Swedish branch of light-medium tanks, I will stop at Strv 74. Because I’m not a big fan of fairy tales, especially poorly written ones.
Relatively recently, developers from the company Wargaming pleased gamers and fans of the online strategy game World of Tanks with information about the appearance of a new branch of Swedish tanks in the game. Unfortunately, the exact date for the introduction of armored vehicles in Sweden has not yet been announced. But perhaps a new branch will appear towards the end of this year. As you know, before the introduction of new combat vehicles, WOT specialists carry out a lot of work: they collect drawings, data, and collect archives with performance characteristics.
Since the developers pay great attention to the historicity of the game project, company employees managed to establish contacts with the management of the Arsenalen tank museum in Sweden in order to be able to collect as much data as possible about Swedish tanks. Therefore, some information about what the Swedish branch in world of tanks is has already appeared, and some vehicles are being tested by supertesters.
A brief overview of armored vehicles of the Swedish tank industry
Initially, the developers planned to unite Swedish tanks into a common branch of European armored vehicles. But perhaps, if the required amount of equipment is collected, the branch of Swedish tanks will be allocated separately. At the moment, Swedish armored vehicles include four classes: ST, TT, ART-SAU, PT.
According to preliminary data, the branch of Swedish combat vehicles will include three TTs, four STs and three LTs. And so, let’s present a brief overview of the armored vehicles of the Swedish tank industry.
Advantages and disadvantages of Swedish tanks
The line of armored vehicles presented by Sweden promises to be quite interesting, unique and historical. What kind of cars will be included in this branch is still in question.
The advantages of Swedish armored vehicles include fairly good armor, especially for heavy tanks, and accurate guns with good armor penetration. The most interesting in terms of research are medium armored vehicles. Although the Swedish TT will have its own interesting features.
The origins of Swedish tank building come from Germany, so the vehicle models are very similar to German combat vehicles. Light tanks up to the fourth level will not be distinguished by their dynamics and maneuverability,
Swedish armored vehicles level 1-4
The first level houses the L-5 light tank, equipped with a fairly accurate 37mm cannon. According to historical parameters, the speed of the armored vehicle is 20 km/h, so the tank cannot be called too maneuverable and fast. The ammunition load includes 200 shells. In terms of armor level, the L-5 is not much inferior to the Soviet LT-shka MS-1.
On the second level there is the Strv fm31 armored vehicle, which, like the L-5, is equipped with a 37 mm gun. Compared to its predecessor, the second-tier tank received a 12-cylinder Maybach engine, which allows the vehicle to accelerate to 35 km/h.
At level 2, it is possible that a rather maneuverable and fast L-100B tank will appear. The car does not have outstanding characteristics, most likely it will be passable.
The third level will be represented by the Strv fm31, which, compared to the second level, has stronger hull and turret armor. The maximum speed is 45 km/h. As for the gun, the armored vehicle has a 37-mm gun, but perhaps the developers will supplement the armament with a more suitable weapon.
The fourth level is represented by the Strv m/38, which has a rather interesting design. The LT unit is quite maneuverable, but has very weak armor. The tank has several modifications - Strv m/39 and Strv m/40. This vehicle was developed in the late 30s on the basis of the Irish M/40 tank. Considering that the performance characteristics of the tank cannot be called ideal for the fourth level, most likely the developers at the fourth level will combine all the advantages of the existing modifications in the tank.
Armored vehicles level 5-10
Already from the fifth level, more games begin, which allow you to feel the full power of Swedish tank building. On the 5th level there is a Strv M42 tank, equipped with a 75 mm fairly accurate, fast-firing cannon. In addition, the car also received quite decent armor for this level.
At level 6 you can see the Strv 74, built on the basis of its predecessor. The armored vehicle received 80mm armor, which can be called quite an excellent indicator for a six-tier vehicle. The car is quite maneuverable and dynamic.
At the seventh level we will see Strv 74/13 with a turret from the French AMX 1375. The maximum speed will be 50-55 km/h. The combat vehicle will have good dynamics, fairly good armor, and maneuverability. As for weapons, the tank received a 90 mm weapon, and may have an automatic (cassette) loading system.
At the 8th level there is a medium tank KRV 81, which received the following armor parameters: hull 125/30/20, turret 165/112/112. The armored vehicle is equipped with a 109-mm weapon, which has similar parameters to the British ST-guns of levels 8-9. The maximum acceleration is 45 km/h, so the dynamics of this armored vehicle will be quite mediocre.
At the ninth level, the heavy KRV 105 is presented, which, weighing 40 tons, received a 550-horsepower SFA engine, which will allow the vehicle to accelerate to 45 km/h. The armored vehicle received good frontal armor, a strong turret, and a top-end 120-mm gun with excellent anti-aircraft weapons.
The KRV 120 heavy combat vehicle will be located at level 10. The vehicle has received enhanced frontal armor (125-140mm) and a ricochet “pike nose”. In appearance, the tank resembles the French tank AMX50B and AMX 50120. Therefore, it can be assumed that the combat vehicle will receive a weapon with a drum loading mechanism.
Bottom line
At the moment, Swedish tanks are in the game at the development stage, so it should not be ruled out that the branch will be supplemented with new armored vehicles. It is possible that the performance characteristics described above will also undergo changes. But in general, the branch of Swedish tanks, like combat vehicles of other nations in principle, will have its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, all that remains is to wait for the appearance of Swedish armored vehicles at the super test and try their combat potential in battle.
24.3.2017 3121 Views
With the release of update 0.9.17, it became available for players to study Swedish tank branch, which is represented by two branches of research. The cars of this nation have specific features that have introduced new opportunities for players into the gameplay.
Unfortunately for players, only tank destroyers and heavy tanks are available in the Swedish development branch. At the moment, there has been no reliable information about the introduction of light vehicles, a full-fledged branch of medium tanks and self-propelled guns, although the archives contain enough information about the developments of Swedish engineers of various types of armored vehicles. This gives hope for the addition of new unique technology that will make the game even more exciting and fun.
Swedish branch of heavy tanks
Swedish heavy tank branch is heterogeneous throughout its entire length. Players start the game on light vehicles, at the fourth level they change to medium ones, and only at the eighth level do heavy tanks come into play. This heterogeneity of equipment brings players some discomfort in the gameplay, since transferring a crew from one type of equipment to another is accompanied by an experience penalty of 20%. In addition, the perks that are needed for comfortable play on medium tanks are not always suitable for playing on heavy tanks.
Therefore, players who decide to pump out Swedish heavy tanks for themselves will be required to frequently reset perks to learn more suitable ones. But all these inconveniences will ultimately be rewarded by the presence of excellent heavy equipment in the hangar. A special feature of these vehicles is the loading drum, which greatly simplifies the process of dealing damage.
There are many such tanks in the World of Tanks game, but the Swedes have a clear advantage over them, namely strong frontal armor that can deflect large-caliber shells and thereby increases the survivability of equipment on the battlefield. More detailed information about the Swedish heavy tanks branch will come later.
Just like the heavy tank branch, Swedish tank destroyers were introduced into the game with their own characteristics. And if until level 8 Swedish tank destroyers are quite similar to vehicles of other nations of the same type, then after reaching this level players receive a unique siege combat mode.
Using it, the player can move around his axis, using a camouflage network and stereo pipes that will be active. Such characteristics of cars have not yet been introduced into the game and many players have already appreciated them. Moreover, when switching to siege mode, the vehicles get fantastic vertical aiming angles, which makes playing with this vehicle very comfortable.
The ninth and tenth levels of Swedish tank destroyers have excellent armor, due to the rational arrangement of armor plates, from which most enemy shells ricochet. It is also worth noting the excellent camouflage parameters of the Swedish tank destroyers, which, in combination with a camouflage network, make the vehicle invisible on the battlefield and can often be detected only by an “X-ray”. Their weapon is distinguished by excellent accuracy.
But there were some downsides. The transition to siege mode takes some time; while in this mode, the vehicle has a low movement speed. When exiting the mode, the speed of the tank destroyer increases many times, but the firing leaves much to be desired. Vertical aiming angles disappear, the accuracy and stabilization of the gun deteriorate.
At the moment, Sweden's premium tanks are represented by only one vehicle - a medium tank Strv m/42-57 Alt A2. It has good mobility, a charging drum and good damage per minute. Its disadvantages include the presence of weak armor, mediocre vertical aiming angles and low penetration of the base projectile. In addition, when transferring crew to heavy tanks, players will pay a large experience penalty.
We will tell you more about this vehicle, as well as other tanks, later.